AP Statistics

Practice: Exploring LSR With Your Graphing Calculator

Page 2 of 4

Compute the regression equation and put the line on your scatterplot. Note that the line
should "fit" the data much better than the line in question 1. You should get the
following picture:

2.

What is the regression equation?

3.

What is the geometric interpretation of the Least Squares Regression Line? What
does that mean in terms of the graph above question 2 and the graph in question
1?

4.

What is the slope of the regression line you computed in question 2? How should
that be interpreted?

5.

Does this regression line appear to be a good fit for these data (meaning, is the
relationship between the two variables linear?)? How can you tell?

6.

What is the predicted value of y for an observed x-value of 3.5?

Now enter a new set of data into your TI-83/TI-84. If you want to use L1 and L2 again,
remember to first clear lists 1 and 2. (To clear these lists, either press STAT, 4, 2nd , L1,
,, 2nd , L2, ENTER; or press STAT, 1, move the cursor over the list name in the EDIT
screen, and press CLEAR.)

______________________________
Copyright 2011 Apex Learning Inc. (See Terms of Use at www.apexvs.com/TermsOfUse)
TI-83 screens are used with the permission of the publisher. Copyright 1996, Texas Instruments, Incorporated.

AP Statistics
Practice: Exploring LSR With Your Graphing Calculator

Page 3 of 4

Below is a chart of Professor Isaac Asimov's productivity. He was one of the most prolific
writers of all time. He wrote more than 500 books during a 40-year career. The data
give the time in months required to write his books:
Number of
books (x)
100 237
200 350
300 419
400 465
500 507

Time in
months (y)

Data Source: Stellan Ohlsson, "The Learning Curve for Writing Books: Evidence from Professor Asimov," Psychological Science 3, no. 6
(1992):380382.

7.

What regression equation would you use to predict the time in months required to
write a given number of books?

8.

What is the slope of the regression line? Interpret the slope in the context of this
situation.

9.

Do these variables appear to be linearly related? Why or why not?

Using a chemical procedure called differential pulse polarography, a chemist measured

the peak current generated (in microamperes) when a solution containing a given
amount of nickel (in parts per billion) is added to a buffer solution.
x = amount of Nickel (parts per billion)
19.1 .
38.2 .
57.3 .
76.2 .
95 .
114 .
131 .
150 .
170 .

y = Peak Current (mA)

095
174
256
348
429
500
580
651
722

Data Source: Daniel C. Harris, Quantitative Chemical Analysis, 3rd ed. (New York: W.H. Freeman and Co., 1991).

In your TI-83/TI-84, put x, nickel in parts per billion, in L1 and y, peak current, in L2.
10. What is the equation for the regression line?
11. Use your graphing calculator to draw a scatterplot of the data and the regression line you
identified in question 10. Does the line appear to be a good linear fit?

______________________________
Copyright 2011 Apex Learning Inc. (See Terms of Use at www.apexvs.com/TermsOfUse)
TI-83 screens are used with the permission of the publisher. Copyright 1996, Texas Instruments, Incorporated.

AP Statistics
Practice: Exploring LSR With Your Graphing Calculator

Page 4 of 4

Questions 7, 8, and 9:
These questions use data from question 12.7 on page 524 of Introduction to Probability and Statistics, Tenth
Edition, by W. Mendenhall, R. Beaver, and B. Beaver. Copyright 1999 by Brooks Cole, division of Thompson
Learning Incorporated. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission of the publisher.
Questions 10 and 11:
These questions use data from question 12.8 on page 524 of Introduction to Probability and Statistics, Tenth
Edition, by W. Mendenhall, R. Beaver, and B. Beaver. Copyright 1999 by Brooks Cole, division of Thompson
Learning Incorporated. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission of the publisher.

______________________________
Copyright 2011 Apex Learning Inc. (See Terms of Use at www.apexvs.com/TermsOfUse)
TI-83 screens are used with the permission of the publisher. Copyright 1996, Texas Instruments, Incorporated.